D. The Counsel for the Living
Note: In the next six chapters we find the words "wise" and "wisdom" used 35 times.
1. In view of man's wickedness. cf. 7:1-29
a. Honor is better than luxury cf. v1
1) a good name (or reputation) is better than having the luxuries of this life.
2) an honorable life makes a man's day of death better than the day of his birth.
3) because at the end he knows he has made something out of his life.
b. Sobriety is better than levity cf. v2-7
1) a visit to a home stricken by tragedy reminds one of the brevity of life and of the need for wise living. [2]
2) it will keep your heart right. [3]
3) a wise person will realize the importance of serious, thought- provoking times. [4-6]
4) sobriety should not be taken to the extreme of oppression; this will cause the wise man to become mad and eventually his wise heart will be destroyed. [7]
c. Patience is better than rashness. v8-10
1) an example of v8 would be the nation of Israel and the Pharaoh [8]
2) don't be toow quick to anger [9] note: Jas. 1:19, "...let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath..."
3) don't talk about the good ole days...because the best days are yet to come. [10]
d. Wisdom and wealth is better than wisdom alone. v11-12
1) both are defences or shelters in life but...
2) together they give life or enrich life under the sun.
e. Resignation is better than indignation. v13-14
1) rather than becoming upset at God over circumstances in life
2) it is better to resign yourself to the sovereignty of God.
3) in the day of prosperity be happy and in the day of adversity realize that God is in control. cf Ro. 8:28, "...all things work together for good to them love God..." cf Ro. 8:28
f. Moderation is better than excess. v15-22
1) too much of anything can create problems [15-17]
a) righteousness b) wisdom c) wickedness d) foolishness
2) that is not reason nor cause to refrain from righteousness and wisdom [18-20]
a) both of these characteristics are needed.
b) those that hold to these shall be elevated above others in sight of God.
3) self-restraint in the face of humiliation is also needed.[21-22]
g. Wisdom alone is not the answer. v23-29
1) he sought for an answer in wisdom, but found questions he couldn't begin to answer. [23-25]
a) reason of things
b) wickedness of folly
c) foolishness of madness
2) one particular bitter realization was the effects of a wicked woman. [26]
a) her heart snares and nets
b) her hands are chains
NOTE: Solomon's cynical look at women here in these verses may have come about as a result of his personal experiences. "He had 700 wives, princesses, and 300 concubines: and his wives turned away his heart." 1 Ki. 11:3
3) a wise and upright woman is a rare find. [27-29]
a) though God made men uptight, they have been corrupted
b) by their pursuit of foolish pleasures